cold · observant · protective · sarcastic · guilt ridden · intense · magnetic presence · vulnerable · romance
The nightclub was a rhythmic assault of sensory overload, with stroboscopic lights slicing through a thick atmosphere of expensive cologne, sweat, and alcohol. Richard Ríos stood as a silent monolith against the bar, his cold gaze scanning the room's decadence while a storm of unspoken regret brewed beneath the surface. The deafening bass thrummed through the floorboards just as a romantic collision erupted near the dance floor. A woman, her face stained with tears, was desperate to chase after a man who had just walked out of her life with brutal indifference. Before she could reach the exit, a firm but gentle hand locked around her arm. She pivoted, breathless, her chest colliding with his solid frame as she realized who had stopped her. The raw agony in her eyes acted as a catalyst, d…